


From a Rebel Point of View

by acuteneurosis



Series: Through the Eyes of the Beholder [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Family Bonding, Force Shenanigans, Gen, More Fruit, Napping, Turns Out We're Related
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:22:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23371630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acuteneurosis/pseuds/acuteneurosis
Summary: A collection of one-shots, behind-the-scenes moments from For Want of a Skywalker from a not-quite-Jedi/Brother/Son point of view. Separated from the main text because really it was just funnier with Piett telling that story.But that doesn't mean Luke didn't have a lot to say about it.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa & Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader, Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker
Series: Through the Eyes of the Beholder [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671883
Comments: 17
Kudos: 260





	1. In Our Memories

Luke has memories from his desert gift childhood of placing kisses all over his father’s head, of how the skin felt wrong, how really everything did, and how there was so much desperation and sadness and _want_ in that moment.

He thinks about it as the hyperbaric chamber closes and he knows his father’s helmet is coming off.

“Luke.”

He looks down at his tiny princess friend and smiles. “Hi Leia.”

“He is tired.”

It’s hard to tell if that’s an accusation or an observation. Little Leia is so serious. There’s so much meaning in everything she does. Luke thinks back on his own time being small and can’t remember that he did anything for any reason other than he wanted to.

And to make Vader smile. The smile he couldn’t see, but could feel behind the mask.

“Yes. He’s resting now.”

“Are we sleep?”

He’s not sure if it’s weirder when her sentences are completely right, or just slightly wrong. Luke shrugs. “We don’t need to. Only Vader is tired.”

She looks down at that, hands plucking at her dress. He thinks she does that when she’s nervous or embarrassed. “I’m tired.”

Oh. “Do you want a nap?” She nods, and he shifts her from his lap so that she’s now on his hip, using the Force to keep his balance as he stands. “Okay. A long nap or a short one?”

“Short,” Leia says, already snuggling up against him. “Then fun.”

Trying not to laugh too loudly, Luke says, “Okay.”

“And more fruit?”

It’s a very hopeful request, and Luke feels guilty having to shut it down. “No more fruit. It’s all gone. They don’t have any more on the ship.”

“More at home.” She must be getting sleepy because the words are a little slurred. Luke wonders if he just avoids the question if she’ll fall asleep and he won’t have to answer. “We go?”

“No Leia,” he says softly, crawling onto their bed and pulling the blanket up so it is covering her. “We have to stay here now.”

“No.”

She’s more awake now, and Luke rubs her back, closing his eyes and imagining peace. He can’t… do what Ben did. Make people do things. But he remembers being around Yoda, and how it helped, and how he would feel, and hopes he’s doing the same.

Her eyes flicker, then slide shut. “Love you,” she mutters, and Luke smiles, ignoring the pain of his father refusing those same words.

“I love you too, Leia. I really do.”

He feels her answer in the Force, a warmth that comes to him unbidden that is relief and happiness behind her anxious concern. He marvels at how well he can feel her and wonders if she’s always like this and if he just never consciously noticed because he lacked the training.

He’s always known she loves him.

She knew who he was, even when he was tiny and afraid.

Like his father did.

Pushing aside the memories of the Hutts, and the slavers, and the almost danger that never quite was, Luke settles into that feeling from his memory. Of his father reaching out to him, surrounding him in Force and body, making sure he didn’t come to harm.

Vader won’t say it, but Luke believes his father loves him.

He has to believe it. They don’t have much time left…


	2. Reprise

“More please.”

Luke watched the scene from the doorway, hand hovering near his mouth in case he needed to hide the smile he couldn’t get rid of. His father carefully cut another slice of fruit and handed it to Leia, her feet kicking against the side of the desk. She mumbled, “Thank you,” before shoving it in her mouth.

He couldn’t have found a happier moment if he’d tried.

“Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me.” Han grumbled, but he did it quietly so Luke didn’t scold him. Just looked over and raised his eyebrows, earning an eye roll from his friend. “How long have they been doing this?”

Luke thought about it. “Ten minutes? Not very long. They haven’t gotten past the first fruit yet.”

“She’s got him wound up like a—“ he stopped, grimacing as he sorted through what was probably an impressive lexicon of completely inappropriate comparisons. He finally settled on, “She could make him do anything.”

“She does,” Luke wasn’t going to share the tea party he had nearly walked in on, his father wearing a makeshift crown of wires and bolts. Or the other day when he’d come in and Vader had been clumsily sketching a picture of a “beautiful senator” Leia had been meticulously describing, from the exact shape of her dress down to the particular direction of her imperiously pointing finger (Vader could _not_ draw…). Luke knew his father wouldn’t want that getting around.

But today held a special place in Luke’s heart. And he’d do anything he could to prolong the moment.

He’d just nodded to Han that they should leave when Leia spotted them. “Luke!”

So much for a sneaky escape. “Hey, Princess. What are you up to?”

“V’ader gave me fruit,” she explained, pointing at the knife in his hand. Then, with a smile, “I like fruit.”

“I like fruit too,” Luke said, bending down and kissing her forehead, giving his father time to slink behind the desk and stow the knife. “Did you say thank you?”

Her eye roll was better than Han’s. “Yes.”

And speaking of, their friend was hanging out near the door, eyeing Luke’s father as though waiting for permission to enter. “Hey Han, do you like fruit?”

That got a glare. “A bit.”

“Admiral Piett has obtained a rather… interesting variety of them,” Vader said, nodding at a bowl on a table against the wall. “You are free to have some.”

“I’m good, thanks,” Han had his hands in his pockets and was almost leaning out of the room.

That was no good. “You should have at least one. Otherwise Leia will eat them all again and get sick.”

There was something like a hiss that came from his father and Han’s mouth dropped open. “When was this?”

“I didn’t eat _all_ them,” Leia protested, pulling at Luke’s sleeve. “I had this many.” She spread her arms out wide, and Han coughed, hiding his face behind his hand. “I put them on V’ader.”

Luke burst out laughing at that, feeling the chagrin and disgust rolling off his father at the memory. “Yeah, you uh, definitely got the fruit all over him.”

His father’s, “It was the admiral’s fault,” clashed with Han asking, “How’d she do that?”

Snickering, Luke picked Leia up and crossed the room. “Come on. I’ll tell you all about it.”

His father needed space, Luke knew, and this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Although Leia might kill him for it. Or tell Han about riding Artoo.

Oh well. It’d be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some goofy stuff because this is what my brain can handle today.
> 
> Link to my [tumblr](https://this-acutenuerosis.tumblr.com/).


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